Spring-cushioned wheel.



s. w. BUBRGKLIN. SPRING GUSHIONED WHEEL. APPLIUA'IIOH FILED DEO. 7, 1911.

1,049,046. Patented 1m31, 1912 W RIVM SAMUEL W. BUERCKLIN, F PRAGUE, OKLAHOMA.'

sPnING-cUsmoNEn WHEEL.

Specication of Letters atent.

Patented Dec. 31,1912.

Application led December 7, 1911. Serial No. 664,812.

To all whom it may concern.'

.Be it known that I, SAMUEL W. BUERCK- LIN, a'citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Prague, in the county of Lincoln and State 'of Oklahoma', have invented an Improvement in ,Spring-Cushioned Wheels,of which the following is a specification. 1 i My invention is an improved substitute for the pneumatic-tired wheels commonly used on automobiles, autocycles, and other motor-propelled vehicles.

It is more particularly an impro-vement inthat class of s ring wheels in which a pneumatic outer tire 1s disposed with and an elastic central or hub portion is substltuted to provide the required resiliency forA the Wheel as awhole.

In carrying out m' invention, I preferably employ an air-fil ed cushion which surrounds the hub and upon whichthe inner rim of the surrounding annular body of the wheel presses with more or less force,.ac

portion.

cording to the weight and load on the vehicle. It will be understoodhowever, that I do not in all cases intend to limit myself to such cushion, but may employ any suitable substitute.

The" invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which' v Figure 1 is a face v iew of a port-ion of my improved wheel with the central or hub portion in section. Fig. 2 is an inner face view of the wheel. Fig. 3'is an enlarged transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the operation of a clutch forming partof my invention. The numeral 1 indicates a solid rubber tire, 2 a flanged metal rim on which it is secured, 3 radial spokes, and 4 an inner wooden or metal rim in which the spokes are seated. These parts, 1, 2, 3, and 4, constitute the outer annular portion of the wheel surroundin what may be termed t-he hub Sgaid hub portion' is formed of-a 'wooden or metal Ahub proper 5 and arallel Ametal plates 6 extending radially at te ends of the section -5, these parts being rigidly connected by traverse screw-rods 7. The

volve around the axle 8.

v'Between the hub proper 5 and the inner wooden `orlietal rim 4 of the annular portion of the-wheel there is arranged a ringshaped rubber cushion 9, the same bearing hub section 5 is preferably sli vh icle body and its directly on the hub and its peripheral portion outward against the inner rlm 4. The

htly convex.

It will be seen that the weight ofthe veload is imposed on the cushion 9, since the vannular portion of the wheel composed of parts 1 2,' 3, 4, is adapted to move radially with reference to the hub proper 5, so'that the inner rim 4 slides between the hub. plates'6. Thus, a sufiicient degree of resiliency is provided or'the wheel by the interposition of the ring-shaped Vcushion 9 between the hub and the surrounding annular portion of the wheel, thus rendering the use of a pneumatic tire unnecessary.

In order to prevent the circumferential movement of the cushion 9 around the hub proper and the like movement of the outer annular portion of the wheel upon the cushion, I provide means for locking them together, the same being illustrated in 1, .in which the cushion 9 is shown provided.

on its inner side With'transverseribs or interior projectlons 10 which enter corresponding cavitles 1n the hub sect10n 5, and

the outer side of the cushion is provided With similar ribs'or projections 11 which enter corresponding grooves or cavities in the inner side of the surrounding wooden or metal rim 4. I likewise provide a means for clutching or locking the outer annular portion of the wheel to the hub portion,'the same being illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 4. As shown best in Fig. v3, slightly bent rods 12 aieadapted to slide in lugs projecting laterally from the inner hub plate 6, the inner enlarged end or head 12*l of said rod being located adjacent to the axle. Spiral springs 13 are interposed between such heads and the aforesaid lugs. The beveled surface of the rod heads 12@l is adapted for frictional contact with a sleeve 14 which has a rotary and rectilinear movement on the axle 8.

The outer ends of the rods 12 are pivoted to clutches 15 which have the form, subst-antially, of an elbow-lever, their free ends being adapted to projectthrough holes l16 in ythe hub vplate and to enter sockets in the inner wheelrim 4. A lever 17 is pivotally connected with the sleeve 14, so as to rotate the latter in the arc of a circle, and the sleeve is. provided with a diagonal slot 18 which receives a lpin 19 that is fixed in the axle.

When t e sleeve is in the retracted position shown in Fig. 4, the expansion of the springs 13 holds the rods 1Q in 'such positionv that the clutches 15 are out of engagement" but upon operating the lever 17, the sleeve 14 is with the annular portion of the wheel;

rotated and at thesame` time forced inward by the coaction of the pin 19 with the diagonal slot 18, so that the. beveled inner end of the sleeve is carried into engagement with the enlarged heads 12 of the rods 12, whereby the latter areforced radially outward, thereby throwing the clutches 15 inward and into engagement with the inner wheel rim 4. By this simple means, which tion including a hub proper and annular parallel plates extended radially on the sides of the inner rim, and a cushion interposed between the hub and outer annular portion, a clutch including a device adapted to engage the inner riin and lock the same with the adjacent hub plate, a slidable spring-retracted rod connected with said y device, and means on the axle adapted for Troaaoae adjustment into and out of engagement with the adjacent innervend .of saldrod, and a device for ett'ectin ally, whereby the c utch may be thrown into and out of engagement with the annular portion of the Wheel, substantially as d ei scribed.

2. The combination of the annular outer portion of the wheel including an inner rim provided with lateral sockets, and a hub port-ion including a hub proper and annular parallel plates extended radially on'the sides of the inner rim, and a cushion interposed between the hub and outer annularportion, a clutch including a device adapted to engage the inner rim and loclrthe same with the adjacent hub plate, a slidable spring-retracted rodV connected with said device, the inner end of the rod'. being beveled as shown, a sleeve on the axle which is adapted for rotary and longitudinal movement, and provided with a diagonal slot, a pin o-n the'axle working in said slot, anda hand lever'connect-ed with the-sleeve, whereby it may be adjusted to bring its inner end such adj ust-mentY manuint-o or out of engagement with the head of the rod, substantially as described.

Witnesses:

J. W. REYNOLDS, p B. JELKS.

Copiesor ithis patent may be obtained. for ve cents each', by addressing the Commissioner of Yatentl.

v Washington, D. C.

SAMUEL w. BUERcKLi-N. f 

